Estate Planning: The New Battleground for Advisor Growth

A recent InvestmentNews feature put a spotlight on a sobering reality:

• 95% of affluent investors need to create or update their estate plans
• Over 30% don’t even have a will or trust in place
• All in the midst of a $90 trillion Great Wealth Transfer already underway

This isn’t just a data point to note, it’s a seismic opportunity for Advisors, IMOs, RIAs, and broker-dealers. Those who ignore this shift will watch assets walk out the door to firms that made estate planning a core differentiator.

 

Even the industry giants see it.

LPL is actively publishing education around why advisors should revisit estate plans in 2025; they know that clients want and expect more from their advisors. They want clarity, control, and confidence about their family’s future.

 

Here’s the question every organization needs to ask: are you moving fast enough to compete?

Why should IMOs, RIAs, and advisor networks move faster than the giants (like LPL)?

Because speed is the advantage. The big players have spotted the opportunity, but bureaucracy slows them down. Independents have a unique window to out-maneuver the giants by implementing estate planning now, while LPL and others are still rolling out training and resources.

 

The organizations that act first will:

• Differentiate their advisors

• Attract top talent looking for an edge

• Capture market share before estate planning becomes “table stakes”

If you wait until the giants normalize it, and you’ve already lost your edge.

How does estate planning tie directly into the client acquisition and retention crisis during the Great Wealth Transfer?

The Great Wealth Transfer isn’t about products; it’s about people, trust, and legacy. Every advisor is staring down trillions in assets moving generations, and here’s the hard truth: if you’re not central to the estate planning conversation, you won’t be central to the relationship once the first spouse passes.

 

Remember this number: 70% of widows fire their advisor within 12 months.

Not because of their lack of financial expertise, but because the advisor never built emotional trust that retains heirs, once their clients pass.

 

Estate planning is the bridge that keeps assets in-house, keeps families engaged, and keeps advisors relevant. Ignore it, and your future business walks out the door.

So what makes ePIC’s approach to estate planning different from simply “adding another service”?

At ePIC, we don’t treat estate planning like a checkbox. For too long, advisors have been given “tools” that create more complexity, not less. Our approach integrates estate planning into the front end of the client relationship, making it the bridge to trust, not an afterthought.

 

With our Outsourced Estate Planning Team (OEPT), Legacy Stories special touch, and a marketing engine designed to attract and convert, advisors aren’t just offering another document service, they’re delivering a transformational client experience that wins relationships for life.

 

The Bottom Line

The demand is clear. The opportunity is massive. And the clock is ticking.

 

Estate planning is no longer “nice to have”; it’s the new battleground for client acquisition and retention. Giants like LPL are already paying attention. The question is: will your organization lead, or will you be left scrambling once the market shifts?

At ePIC, we’ve already built the turnkey solution to help advisors step into this opportunity today, before it’s too late.

Book a strategy call with our team to learn more.